Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

The disclosure herein is of an electrical connector and particularly such of the same as is used in making connections for thermocouples to panel boards or the like, and is directed to the manner of connecting the conductors to the connector itself so that it is unnecessary to wind the same about a terminal post, but on the other hand the conductors may be inserted directly, manipulation of a fastener resulting in an interlocking action to retain the conductor in position, all the same being supplied in a molded body so that connection and disconnection may be easily resorted to and yet no short circuiting of the connections is possible in ordinary use of the connector.

United States Patent 72] inventor John Tymkewicz c/o Marlin Mfg. Corp., 12404 Triskett Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44111 [21] Appl. No. 872,500 [22] Filed Oct. 30, 1969 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 [5 4] ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 339/217, 339/273 [51] lnt.Cl H0lr 9/08 [50] Field ofSearch 339/l9l, I95, 217, 219, 220, 22l, 269, 272, 273, 274

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,522,574 1/l925 Benjamin 339/195 X 339/191 X 339/I95X 2,088,845 8/1937 DeMash 2,437,747 3/1948 Kuhnetal.

ABSTRACT: The disclosure herein is of an electrical connector and particularly such of the same as is used in making connections for thermocouples to panel boards or the like, and is directed to the manner of connecting the conductors to the connector itself so that it is unnecessary to wind the same about a terminal post, but on the other hand the conductors may be inserted directly, manipulation of a fastener resulting in an interlocking action to retain the conductor in position, all the same being supplied in a molded body so that connection and disconnection may be easily resorted to and yet no short circuiting of the connections is possible in ordinary use ofthe connector.

PAIENTED SEP28 |97| INVENT OR. x7 0 N TyM KE W/c 2.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR The invention herein is of a thermocouple connector primarily which is formed of a block of plastic material having the usual contact members extending therefrom, but in this instance being provided with novel means to interconnect the conductors from the source that indication is desired to be directed from, so that by simply inserting a conductor into the block which comprises the body and simply manipulating the screw, connection is immediately made, thus suggesting that the primary object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity to wrap a conductor about a tenninal or about a fastener itself, or to provide for separate contact member to be attached to the conductor for subsequent attachment by the fastener within the connector body itself.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for completing of the circuit through the connector by forming the contact members in novel form and providing them with a flattened area to be positioned over a nut within the body to maintain the nut in position, and in conjunction with the fastener to direct the contacting of the conductor to the contact with maximum speed and minimum difficulty or manipulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connector in which novel contact members are provided formed with flattened tubular sections in which openings are provided adapted to be aligned with a nut positioned nonrotatably in the body, and a fastener engaged with the nut and in turn engaging a conductor by simply inserting the conductor in the block and manipulating the fastener so that the head of the fastener engages the conductor and in so doing, tends to tilt the fastener and thereby brings the head of the fastener into frictional engagement with the cavity in which the same was inserted so that an unlocking action is inhibited.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connector construction in which suitable pairs of contact members, nuts positioned within a body in cavities provided therefor, the cavities in which the fasteners themselves are inserted being so proportioned that when they are in engagement with the conductors inserted thereinto, it will cause a tilting of the fasteners, and engagement of the heads with a wall of the cavity so that frictional resistance to unfastening action is provided.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the specification appended hereto and disclosed in the drawing, wherein:

FIG. I is a top plan view showing a connector constructed according hereto, with the respective elements in place.

FIG. 2 is an end view taken from the right-hand end of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view about on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, taken about on the line 5-5 of FIG. I, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, further illustrating certain connecting features.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 1 the electrical connector of this invention is shown as comprising a generally rectilinear block 1 of any preferred form of plastic so that the same may be molded in about the condition indicated, having as indicated in FIG. 4 a contact member cavity 2, this being duplicated as will be apparent, although the contact members are of different size, and thus for the purposes hereof the description will be made only with reference to one of the contact members specifically, which cavity extends longitudinally in the bod A fastener receiving cavity is formed and indicated at 3, this being duplicated again as will be apparent, extending from the upper face 4 of the body 1.

The cavity 3 is formed with an upper generally rectangular section 5, which includes an arcuate formation 6 on each side thereof which is intended to about conform to the head 7 of the fastener generally denoted 8. The head 7 is provided with a suitable screwdriver slot 9 therein for manipulation of the fastener 8 in a manner to be subsequently described, the fastener 8 being provided with a threaded shank 10, extending below the head 9, the threaded shank 10 being arranged for engagement with corresponding threads in a nut II, seated in the bottom of the cavity 3 and nonrotatable by reason of the fact that the periphery of the nut is knurled and thus grips the plastic itself to prevent such rotation.

Extending from the right-hand end of the body I is a passage 12 through which the conductor such as indicated at 13 may be inserted, and fastened in position in a manner to be subsequently described.

The actual formation of the contact member denoted 14 is such that the same is comprised of a tubular end 15 extending outwardly from the end of the body 1, the inner end of the contact member 14 being flattened as indicated at 16 and further provided with an opening 17 therein.

The contact member 14 is inserted from the left-hand end of the body 1 as indicated in FIG. 4, and the flattened portion 16 thereof positioned over the nut 11 so that the opening I7 in the portion 16 is in alignment with the threaded opening in the said nut 11.

It will thus be apparent that insertion of the fastener 8 as to the shank 10 thereof through the opening I7 and into engagement with the nut 11 as by the threads therein, with subsequent manipulation of the head 7 by means of the slot 9, will enable the fastener to be adjusted with respect to the said nut l 1.

The conductor 13 in normal use, may be inserted through the passage 12 and alongside of the threaded shank 10 of the fastener 8 without any necessity to form the end of the conductor 13 with any special configuration as is usually the case. The end of the conductor 13 may be perfectly straight and inserted through the opening as indicated, and thereafter the fastener 8 manipulated so that the head 7 thereof, moves into engagement at its underside with the conductor 13 as indicated in FIG. 4, and FIG. 5.

Viewing FIG. 5, it will be seen that as the fastener 8 is tightened into engagement with the nut 11, several things take place; the first of notable interest is that the fastener itself is tilted slightly as to the axis thereof and in so doing, by reason of the fact that the head 7 is closely spaced with regard to the arcuate area 6 in the cavity 3, will cause the periphery of the head 7 to be frictionally engaged with this arcuate surface and have a tendency thereby to resist any unscrewing action which might be imparted to the fastener 8.

At the same time as the fastener 8 is tilted slightly, contact of the head and thereby the fastener as a whole, with the conductor 13 is effected to the flattened end 16 of the contact member 14, thus completing a circuit through the connector as a whole in accordance with the desired end sought to be accomplished by this connector itself.

It will also be noted that since the connector 13 is in a sense a fulcrum about which the fastener tilts slightly, this tilting action will also cause the fastener to tilt with regard to the nut 11 to some extent, and thus some thread interference will take place additionally resisting unscrewing action of the fastener 8.

Since the cavity 3 is provided with the arcuate section 6 therein, FIG. 6 illustrates the manner in which the conductor 13 is slightly bent upon extreme tightening action of the fastener 8 and thus further maintaining the conductor in position within the connector as a whole.

It is understood that the body I hereof is molded in suitable manner to receive the various elements herein described, and insertion of the same is effected by assembly means so that the positions occupied are as indicated for the purposes hereof.

It is also to be understood that the connectors may be formed so that a plurality of contact members may be provided therein and provision made for suitable engagement of a series of conductors as along the lines of FIG. 1 in which a pair of conductors are shown in position.

It is to be understood that like parts for the respective contact members and conductors are identified by like numbers.

I claim:

1. In an electrical connector of the class described, in combination, a body, a contact member cavity extending longitudinally in said body, a fastener receiving cavity extending transversely of said body and intersecting the contact member cavity, a conductor receiving passage leading from the other end of the body to the fastener receiving cavity, a nut nonrotatably seated in the fastener cavity and having a threaded opening therein, a contact member positioned in the cavity therefor, one end of said member extending from the said one end of the body, the other end of the member overlying the nut aforesaid and having an opening in alignment with the threaded opening in the nut, and a fastener having a threaded shank extending through said opening and in threaded engagement with said nut, an enlarged head at the free end of said shank, at least a portion of the wall of said fastener receiving cavity being in close proximity to said head, a selected portion of a conductor disposed between said head and said contact member, said head and said fastener cavity proportioned with respect to each other such that rotation of the fastener with respect to said conductor will simultaneously frictionally secure said conductor thereto and effect a tilting interference of the shank of said fastener restraining rotation of said fastener by engagement between said head and the said portion of the wall of said cavity in close proximity to said head and opposite said conductor portion, said conductor being a fulcrum means to effect said tilting interference when said fastener is threaded into said nut through said opening in said contact member and rotated therein.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein a conductor is positioned alongside the threaded shank of the fastener, the head of the fastener engages said conductor whereby to tilt the fastener with respect to the nut and increase the frictional interengagement of the threads and thereby tend to lock the same against relative rotation.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener-receiving cavity is open at the upper face of the body to provide access to the fastener disposed therein.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastener-receiving cavity is generally rectangular in plan, with at least one side having an arcuate section, and the fastener includes a round head thereon which closely parallels the arcuate section aforesaid, tightening of said fastener in engagement with a conductor effecting frictional engagement of said head and section to restrain rotation of the fastener. 

1. In an electrical connector of the class described, in combination, a body, a contact member cavity extending longitudinally in said body, a fastener receiving cavity extending transversely of said body and intersecting the contact member cavity, a conductor receiving passage leading from the other end of the body to the fastener receiving cavity, a nut nonrotatably seated in the fastener cavity and having a threaded opening therein, a contact member positioned in the cavity therefor, one end of said member extending from the said one end of the body, the other end of the member overlying the nut aforesaid and having an opening in alignment with the threaded opening in the nut, and a fastener having a threaded shank extending through said opening and in threaded engagement with said nut, an enlarged head at the free end of said shank, at least a portion of the wall of said fastener receiving cavity being in close proximity to said head, a selected portion of a conductor disposed between said head and said contact member, said head and said fastener cavity proportioned with respect to each other such that rotation of the fastener with respect to said conductor will simultaneously frictionally secure said conductor thereto and effect a tilting interference of the shank of said fastener restraining rotation of said fastener by engagement between said head and the said portion of the wall of said cavity in close proximity to said head and opposite said conductor portion, said conductor being a fulcrum means to effect said tilting interference when said fastener is threaded into said nut through said opening in said contact member and rotated therein.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein a conductor is positioned alongside the threaded shank of the fastener, the head of the fastener engages said conductor whereby to tilt the fastener with respect to the nut and increase the frictional interengagement of the threads and thereby tend to lock the same against relative rotation.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastener-receiving cavity is open at the upper face of the body to provide access to the fastener disposed therein.
 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastener-receiving cavity is generally rectangular in plan, with at least one side having an arcuate section, and the fastener includes a round head thereon which closely parallels the arcuate section aforesaid, tightening of said fastener in engagement with a conductor effecting frictional engagement of said head and section to restRain rotation of the fastener. 